CHAPTER VII THE ELECTION

Room F was one of the larger recitation rooms in Oxford¹, a rectangular, high-ceilinged apartment, with tall windows along one side and a dismal² expanse of blackboard occupying most of the remaining wall space. There were some thirty seats, and a small platform at one end supported a desk and chair. On Wednesday, at a few minutes before three in the afternoon, Room F was well filled and the corridor outside was noisy with the sound of voices and the tramping of feet. The First and Third Classes were holding or were about to hold their elections in neighboring rooms, and there was quite a little excitement in the air. It was the Second Class election, however, that aroused the most interest. Usually the elections are cut-and-dried affairs, but Dan’s appearance in the race had raised the contest out of the humdrum³ level, and even Second Class fellows who were not Cambridge members had caught the excitement[71] and were waiting in the corridors to learn the result.

“First elects Rand and Derrick,” announced Arthur Thompson, entering the room. “Isn’t it time to start things here, fellows?”

“It’s only two minutes of three,” objected Hiltz, who was doing a little final electioneering over by the windows.

“Then your watch is slow,” retorted Arthur. “First’s closed her polls and counted. What time have you got, Lowd?”

“Three-four.”

“Then let’s get busy. Is Chambers⁴ here?”

“Here and waiting,” answered Joe. “Got your slips ready?”

“They’re on the desk there, aren’t they? They were there when I came in.”

“I’ve got them. Gentlemen, the polls are open. Please write the names of two candidates and your own name on the slips, fold, and then hand them to me.”

The fellows crowded up for the slips of blank paper and then retired⁵ to the seats to prepare their ballots⁷. Chambers took his seat at the desk and laid the roster⁸ of voters’ names open in front of him. As usual pencils and pens were scarce and had to be handed around from one to another.[72] Arthur sought Dan where the latter was filling out his ballot⁶ on a window ledge⁹.

“Are all your fellows here, Dan?” he whispered.

“I think so. I thought I’d check them off from Chambers’s list as they voted.”

“I suppose that’s the best. If they wouldn’t keep moving around so we could check them off now. Jake was trying to get Lowd back into the fold awhile ago; did you notice? But I guess he didn’t succeed, for I heard Lowd tell him to run away!”

One by one the voters handed their folded slips to Joe Chambers and gave their names. Joe laid the ballots in an open drawer at his side and crossed off the voter’s name on the roster, announcing it aloud as he did so. Both Dan and Arthur got their votes in early, and Hiltz was only a minute behind them. Then the first two, who had drawn¹⁰ apart to watch and confer, noticed excitement in the Hiltz camp. Hiltz compared the list he held with that on the desk, searched the room with his gaze, talked vehemently¹¹ with one of his supporters, and finally dispatched that youth on an errand.

“Somebody’s missing,” said Dan in low tones. “What time is it?”

[73]

“Ten after. They’ll have to hurry if they want to get him.”

Hiltz was plainly nervous and anxious, passing from the window to the door, disappearing in the corridor and hurrying back again.

“Well, our fellows are all here,” said Arthur. “Murdock is voting now, and he’s the last one. Look at Hiltz, will you! I’m going to see who’s missing.”

Arthur wormed his way through the group about the desk and leaned over the list. While he was gone a sandy-haired fellow approached Dan.

“I hope you’ll win, Vinton,” he said. “It was funny about that letter of yours. It came at about eleven one morning, and then at three that afternoon I got a letter from Hiltz asking me to vote for him. I was glad yours came first, though, for I’d rather you got it.”

“Why, thanks, Brewster,” answered Dan cordially. “That was funny, though, wasn’t it? I’m glad I got there first.”

“So’m I. Hope you beat him.” And Brewster strolled away just as Arthur Thompson came back with his eyes dancing with excitement.

“It’s that pill, Conover,” he said in a low voice. “Everyone else has voted. And it’s fourteen minutes past,” he added, glancing at his watch. “If[74] he doesn’t come in the next minute you’ll win for sure, Dan!”

“Jove!” muttered Dan, looking at his own timepiece. “Say, do you mind asking to have the polls closed as soon as time’s up? It will look better coming from you.”

“I’ll do it, don’t you worry.” Arthur kept his eyes on the minute hand of his watch. Hiltz, surrounded by three or four of his friends, was talking angrily, and referring every few seconds to the watch held in his hand.

“Three-fifteen, Chambers,” called Arthur, stepping up to the desk. “Let’s start the count and get through. Some of the fellows have got to report for football in a few minutes.”

Chambers looked at his own watch.

“All right,” he said. “Has everyone here voted? Is Conover in the room?”

“He will be here in a minute,” called Hiltz. “It isn’t a quarter past yet.”

“My watch says it is,” responded Chambers mildly, “but——”

“So does mine,” interrupted Arthur. “It’s almost sixteen after. The polls are supposed to close at three-fifteen.”

“My watch says three-thirteen,” said Hiltz angrily, “and I know that it is right. Besides, if it[75] isn’t, you didn’t open the polls until four minutes after three. You’ve got to allow fifteen minutes, Chambers.”

“Well, I guess there’s no objection to that, is there?” asked Chambers, glancing around.

But it seemed that there was much objection, and things began to get noisy and disputatious in Room F. And just when Chambers was insisting on silence there was a knock on the door.

“He’s come!” groaned¹² Arthur.

But when the door opened it was only the messenger that entered.

“Did you find him?” called Hiltz, hurrying across the room. “Is he coming?”

“Couldn’t find him anywhere, Jake. I’ve been all over the school!”

Hiltz glared a moment at the boy and then turned on his heel and walked to the window, and——

“Polls closed!” announced Chambers.

Arthur clapped Dan on the shoulder.

“You’ve won!” he whispered gleefully. But Dan shook his head.

“Better wait and see. You can’t be sure yet.”

The room quieted down while Chambers opened[76] the ballots and tabulated¹³ the votes. It didn’t take him long, and after he had been over the ballots a second time, he rapped on the desk.

“Here’s the result, fellows. Quiet, please.

Thompson, 26.
Vinton, 15.
Hiltz, 13.

“Thompson and Vinton are elected.”

Pandemonium¹⁴ broke loose for a minute, during which Dan, striving to hide his satisfaction under a quiet smile, was congratulated by friend and foe¹⁵ alike. Only Hiltz kept away and, a moment later, left the room, frowning darkly, perhaps in search of the renegade Conover.

“Glad you won, Vinton,” was the remark of several of Hiltz’s supporters. “I didn’t vote for you, you know, because I’d given my word to Hiltz, but I’m glad you beat.”

Then the room emptied and Dan and Arthur followed the others out through the corridor, where the news had already spread. Dan had to stop many times to be shaken by the hand or pounded on the back, but finally he was free to hurry to the gymnasium and get into his togs for afternoon practice. Arthur went with him.

[77]

“But what I don’t see,” said Dan perplexedly, “is how I got fifteen. I had only fourteen that I knew of.”

“I can tell you,” answered Arthur. “The fifteenth was Simms. He stopped me on the way out a minute ago. ‘I concluded you were right, Thompson,’ he said. ‘I don’t like Dan Vinton much, but I guess he’s a heap better than Jake Hiltz. So I voted your way.’”

“Simms! Well, I’m much obliged to him, although, as it happened, I didn’t need his vote. I wonder what became of Conover? I’d hate to be in his shoes when Hiltz finds him!”

“Oh, Conover’s a pill, anyway. He probably forgot all about the election. For my part, I don’t care what Jake does to him!”

The mystery of Conover’s disappearance¹⁶ was explained later, however, when between the two short practice halves Dan shared Tom’s blanket on the side-line.

“They tell me you won, Dan,” said Tom. “Glad to hear it; glad you licked Jake Hiltz. Close, was it?”

“I got fifteen to his thirteen.”

“Fifteen! I thought you said you were sure of only fourteen.”

“I did; and I was. But a fellow named Simms[78] came over to me at the last moment.” Tom chuckled¹⁷.

“That’s a joke on me, then. Know a chap with rusty¹⁸ hair and spectacles named Conover?”

“Only by sight. He was one of Hiltz’s fellows and didn’t show up. I don’t know what happened to him. Hiltz is crazy mad, I guess. He sent a fellow out to hunt Conover up, but he wasn’t to be found.”

“Guess they didn’t look in the right place,” said Tom with a grin.

“Why? What do you know about it?”

“I know where Conover was from a quarter past two to twenty minutes past three,” replied Tom with a twinkle.

“You do? Where?”

“In Number 7 Dudley.”

“What? In your room? Look here, Tom, what have you been up to?”

“Well, I thought I was up to helping¹⁹ you get elected, but it seems that I might just as well have spared myself the trouble.”

“Do you mean that you—you——”

Tom nodded.

“Exactly. I knew Conover was a chess fiend, and so this morning, after you told me how you stood, I called on him and invited him to play a[79] game with me after dinner. He was pleased to death. I let him have things his own way, of course, and at three I told him that I hated to spoil the game but that it was time for him to go over and cast his vote. I guess he thought I was trying to rattle²⁰ him. Anyway, he said he didn’t want to vote and wasn’t going to. So I thought he knew his own mind, and didn’t say any more about it. And then, at twenty after, I started in and did him up. He can’t play chess any more than—than Alf can!”

“Tom, you’re a wonder!” laughed Dan. “That’s the best joke I’ve heard in a year. It was mighty²¹ decent of you, though,” he continued seriously, “and I appreciate it.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I had my fun, too.”

“But, just the same, I’m rather glad I got Simms’s vote, for I don’t think I’d have liked being elected that way.”

Tom only grunted²².

1 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

2 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

3 humdrum   

adj.单调的，乏味的

参考例句：

• Their lives consist of the humdrum activities of everyday existence.他们的生活由日常生存的平凡活动所构成。
• The accountant said it was the most humdrum day that she had ever passed.会计师说这是她所度过的最无聊的一天。

4 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

9 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

12 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 tabulated   

把（数字、事实）列成表( tabulate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Results for the test program haven't been tabulated. 试验的结果还没有制成表格。
• A large number of substances were investigated and the relevant properties tabulated. 已经研究了多种物质，并将有关性质列成了表。

14 pandemonium   

n.喧嚣，大混乱

参考例句：

• The whole lobby was a perfect pandemonium,and the din was terrific.整个门厅一片嘈杂，而且喧嚣刺耳。
• I had found Adlai unperturbed in the midst of pandemonium.我觉得艾德莱在一片大混乱中仍然镇定自若。

15 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

16 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

17 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

18 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

19 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

20 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

21 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

22 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。